The XBand
by Viaka
Summary: rating is just to be safe; Jubilee and Tabitha want to form a band....
1. The Forming of The Band

Author's Note: Tabby is back with the X-Men, and if the characters are slightly OOC, forgive me, please. This is my first fanfic in a LOOOONG time...  
  
  
Disclaimer: I own jack squat, and since I have nothing, suing me would be a complete and total waste of everyone's time.  
  
  
"Hey, Bobby, can I, um, talk to you for a sec?" asked Jubilee. She had a tiny grin on her face that scared Bobby, but he pushed it aside and shrugged.  
  
"Sure, Jubes. What's up?"  
  
"Well, see, umm, Tabby and I were talking and we were thinking that umm well that there are a lot of musicians and stuff here and so well um, we were sorta wondering if you want to start a band..." she trailed off as she saw Bobby's face change.  
  
"Are you kidding?! I'd love to!" he exclaimed. "We can do a concert for some of the rallies at school, and one for the rest of the Institute, and we'll be famous, and get rich!"  
  
"Uh, Bobby, that's not-" Jubes tried to interject, but got cut off.  
  
"I mean, we would rock! And I, of course, would be lead guitar, because..."  
He kept talking, completely oblivious when Jubilee left.  
"We'll get a great contract, and make an awesome album, and..."  
  
************  
  
"Tabby, whaddaya want? Jus' say it an' leave meh alone already!" Rogue said.  
  
"Look, Rogue, chill out, girl! Jubes and I were just thinkin' that since you play guitar so well, that you could play in a band with us." Tabby said.  
  
"Ya gotta be kiddin meh." Rogue stated flatly.  
  
"Aw, c'mon, Rogue! It'll be fun!" Tabby said.  
  
"No."  
  
"Please?" whined Tabby.  
  
"Ah said no."  
  
"Please please please PLEEZE?" asked Tabby, in her most irritating voice.  
  
"OK ALREADY! But only if ya promise ta leave me alone!" Rogue snapped.  
  
"Whatever you say, girl." Tabby said as she bounced out of the room.  
  
************  
  
So, what do you think so far? Anyone else you want to put in the band? And what should the band's name be? Review.... 


	2. Practice Time

Disclaimer: Not mine.  
  
Scott walked into the Common Room...  
  
And almost went crazy.  
  
Kurt was bamfing around the room, checking amps and mikes for sound, and giving 'thumbs-up' signals to Roberto, who was running the sound board.  
  
Ray was tuning his bass, and yelling for Roberto to turn up the sound on his amp. But since Roberto was trying to communicate with Kurt, he didn't notice. Ray was trying to keep his temper in check, but the sparking on his fingertips was betraying his frustration.  
  
Bobby was arguing with Jubilee about record contracts and no one saying anything about playing backup for Rogue.  
  
Tabby was attempting to play a song on Jubilee's keyboard, but was failing miserably.  
  
Rogue was sitting against a wall, her Schecter electric guitar next to her, smirking at the chaos around her.  
  
At least, thought Scott, nobody's playing my drums.  
  
Then he noticed the top of someone's head poking out above the tom-toms. What the-  
  
He heard a BAMF, followed by a loud "OW!" and a bunch of pops.  
  
Oh crap. Not-  
  
"Jamie, yu know zat if Scott finds you playing his drums he'll..." Kurt trailed off as he saw Scott walking steadily towards them.  
  
"Oops." Jamie absorbed his multiples back into himself and took off running, while Kurt bamfed to the other side of the room.  
  
Jubilee, having finally noticed Scott's presence, said, "All right, let's start practice!"  
  
Nobody heard.  
  
Deciding to opt for a more drastic attention-getter, she shot a couple of fireworks from her hands, but again, nobody noticed.  
  
Finally, Scott decided to help her, and yelled in his most leader-esque voice, "PRACTICE IS STARTING NOW!"  
  
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Scott.  
  
Practice had begun. 


	3. What to Play

Rogue slowly stood up, a small smirk on her face. She picked up her guitar and walked over to where the rest of the band and equipment was. "About tahme," she muttered under her breath.  
  
Kurt bamfed over next to Roberto and they ran through a last sound check while Tabby adjusted her mike and Jubes positioned herself behind her keyboard.  
  
Scott sat down behind the drum set and noticed that everyone was staring at him. "What? Tabby and Jubilee are the ones who organized this thing, not me," he said, a laugh in his voice.  
  
Slightly fazed by Scott's refusal to take over, Jubes just nodded at Tabby with a shrug.  
  
"Well, um, okay, then. Um, I guess that since this is the first practice we should, uh..." Tabby tried to think of something for them to do, "you know, play a couple of songs everybody knows to, uh, get used to everybody else's style. So, uh, maybe we could do something easy, like, uh, like...." Tabby trailed off, obviously unable to think of a song.  
  
"How about 'Everywhere'? I love Michelle Branch!" suggested Jubilee.  
  
Bobby groaned. "Come on, Jubes. We need real music-Get It Faster. Jimmy Eat World rocks!"  
  
Ray snorted. "I say something by the Offspring-Keep 'Em Separated's a classic. Can't go wrong with that."  
  
"How about Gloria Estefan?" Roberto piped up.  
  
"NO!!" everyone yelled, which started a huge argument among Ray, Tabby, Bobby, Jubilee, and Roberto about what music was best, and why the others sucked.  
  
Rogue and Scott, who had both remained quiet, shared a look, which gave Rogue an idea. She walked over and said something quietly to Scott. He grinned and nodded.  
  
She hurried back to her position and plugged in her guitar, and Scott gave a quiet four-count that was barely audible over the yelling teens. Rogue stared playing the intro to System of a Down's "Toxicity."  
  
All of a sudden, everyone got real quiet. Not because Rogue was playing System, or even because Scott was, but because Storm had wandered into the room.  
  
And was singing along. 


	4. Storm and Leadership

DISCLAIMER: I forgot to put a disclaimer in my last chapter, but if you think I own anything, you're an idiot.  
  
Rogue and Scott stopped playing and turned their heads in the direction everone else was looking.  
  
Their jaws dropped.  
  
"S-Storm?" stuttered Scott.  
  
"What?" Storm asked innocently. "I listen to the radio too, you know. Is that a crime?" She smiled.  
  
"N-no, but, it's just, uh, it's just that-" Scott tried to find the words to say, but Tabby threw a cherry bomb at him to stop him from digging himself any deeper into his grave than he already was.  
  
"Rogue, you are quite talented," Storm said to a stunned Rogue. "How long have you been playing the guitar?"  
  
"About fahve years, Ah think," Rogue replied, barely able to think straight.  
  
"Your talent is impressive, child. Well, good luck to all of you; I must be going." With that, Storm left, still humming the tune to "Toxicity."  
  
"Uh, did Storm just walk in here and sing System? Or am I just going crazy?" Bobby asked.  
  
"As much as I'd like to say that you're crazy, Bobby, yes, she did come in, and she was singing System," said Jubilee.  
  
Scott was the first one to snap out of the shock Storm's entrance had caused.  
  
"I think Storm was right, guys. Rogue, you ARE good," he said. "Maybe you should be the leader."  
  
But before she could say anything, Bobby straightened up and protested loudly, "NO!!! Jubes said I would lead!!"  
  
"Uh, Bobby, I never said that," said Jubilee.  
  
"Well, you asked ME to be in the band, so I thought I would be leading," said Bobby.  
  
Kurt and Roberto, who had been watching the exchange, saw Bobby's hands ice over and Jubilee start to inadvertently shoot off tiny burts. Neither wanted to be present if a fight broke out, so Kurt grabbed Roberto's arm and bamfed them both out of the room and to a safer place.  
  
"But, Bobby, I never said-"  
  
Bobby cut Jubilee off. "I thought you meant I would lead. I WANT TO LEAD!!!"  
  
Rogue stepped in, not keen on having the two fight it out. "Look, Bobby, if ya wanna lead, go rahgt ahead. Ah'm not exactly the leader tahpe, anyways."  
  
Apparently, those were the magic words. The fireworks and ice disappeared, and Bobby and Jubilee visibly relaxed.  
  
"I told you," mumbled Bobby as he walked back to his guitar.  
  
Roguye rolled her eyes; at least now they were going to be quiet.  
  
Yeah, right.  
  
********  
  
A/N: This is NOT a Bobby-bashing fic, he's one of my favorite characters; the power of leading has gone to his head, that's all. 


	5. Names, and Ray Playing Bass

Disclaimer: I own everything, except for what belongs to somebody else.  
  
  
"Alright, everybody. First thing we need to do is think of a name," announced Bobby.  
  
"How about 'Pyroteks'?" suggested Jubilee.  
  
"Nah, I like 'Meltdown' better," said Tabby. Jubilee stuck her tongue out at Tabby.  
  
"Man, that is SO lame!" cried Ray. "Try something like, uh...." unable to think of a name, he shot a look at Scott.  
  
"No way, man! Don't look at me!" Scott said, knowing from experience how everyone would react to anything he came up with.  
  
"Rogue?" Bobby asked, wondering what she would suggest for a name.  
  
"Ah dunno. Death's Head, maybe, or Iron Maiden," Rogue shrugged as she spoke. "Ah'm not too good with names."  
  
"Uh, well, in that case, maybe we should leave the name thing alone for awhile," said Bobby. "Um, let's see what all of you can do, then. Uh, Ray, could you do a scale or something?"  
  
"Sure, man," Ray said. He lowered his head and started mumbling as he moved his hand up and down the neck of the bass without actually making any noise come from it. "Um, what was a scale again....oh yeah....where's C, where's C-wait, do I even start with C? Oh, crap, what do I do, I can't believe I forgot..." He kept muttering under his breath as he became angrier and angrier. A faint aura of blue surrounded him, and high-voltage electricity shot out of his hands. Unfortunately, he was still holding the bass.  
  
With a bang and a puff of smoke, the bass turned from being a bass into being a charred, foul-smelling piece of fried plastic and metal. Swearing loudly, Ray threw it down and stomped out of the room.  
  
Everyone looked at each other, slightly stunned.  
  
"He SAID he knew how to play," Tabby said softly.  
  
"Well, uh, I guess he's not gonna be in the band anymore," said Bobby inanely.  
  
If only he knew. 


	6. Next!

Disclaimer: Sue me if you want...I have no money, so either way you'd lose...  
  
A/N: This chapter contains Scott-bashing, so if you like him, you probably won't want to read it....  
  
  
  
Scott, Rogue, and Bobby glared at Tabby and Jubilee.  
  
"Who's brilliant idea was is to have Ray play bass when HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW??" stormed Bobby.  
  
Jubes and Tabby pointed at each other, which only frustrated everyone else more.  
  
"She said-"  
  
"Jubes told me that-"  
  
"Did not!"  
  
"Liar!"  
  
"Don't call me a liar, trailer trash!"  
  
"Oooh, bring it on!"  
  
"HEY!!!" Bobby yelled at them. The two girls were standing nose to nose, both angry about the comments the other had made. "Look, let's just forget it. Scott, wanna play something for us on those drums of yours?" asked Bobby, trying to get the girls to calm down.  
  
"Ok. Here goes nothing," Scott said. With a look of intense concentration on his face, he quietly counted out four beats to himself and started a simple four-four rhythm on the snare and high hats.  
  
Or tried to. When Rogue and Scott had been playing 'Toxicity,' Rogue had been playing loudly enough to mask any sounds emanating from Scott's drums. And as it turned out, that was a good thing, because Scott was having trouble with keeping a steady 1-2-3-4 beat.  
  
He couldn't.  
  
He would speed up, and suddenly slow down or stop; then he'd speed up again. And all the while, he sat, smiling, and played away as if he was the best drummer on the face of the earth; which, of course, he wasn't. Not even close.  
  
He finished up his little "drum solo" with what may or may not have been an intentional drumroll and a LOUD hit on the high hats. "So, what do you think? I've only been doing this for two years, but I think I'm getting pretty good," said Scott, obviously proud of himself.  
  
"Uh, yeah. Right. Um, Rogue! How about-" Scott cut Bobby off mid-sentence.  
  
"You don't like it," he stated flatly.  
  
"No, no, I do, it's just that I, uh, I-" protested Bobby while trying to find a polite way to tell Scott he couldn't play his way out of a paper bag.  
  
"Look, Iceman," Scott said quietly, getting pissed at Bobby's attitude, "if you don't like my playing, just say so! No one here will laugh at your lack of taste."  
  
"No, look, it's just...." Bobby trailed off under Scott's glare, which even from behind the ruby-quartz glasses was strong enough to kill.  
  
"He's raght, Scooter," Rogue said matter-of-factly. She was tried of all the crap and just wanted to either play or leave. "Ya suck."  
  
Heads nodded timidly at Rogue's statement.  
  
Scott stood up. "Fine. If that's what you think, I'm out of here." He stalked off, no doubt to find Jean so he could tell all, and have her comfort him by telling him that they were just jealous because he was the leader.  
  
"Ya know," said Tabby in as thoughtful a voice as she was capable of, "somehow I think this band idea might not have been so good after all..." 


	7. Not Another One!

Disclaimer: It's Christmas time, so if ya wanna give 'em, I'll take 'em.  
  
  
  
Rogue hid a smile as Scott left the room, amazed at his talent.  
  
Bobby glared at Tabby and Jubes.  
  
"This, this, this whole thing is a disaster! We have NO drums, NO bass, and who exactly was going to sing?" Bobby demanded angrily.  
  
"Me. And if you've got a problem with that, Eskimo Boy, you can leave too," Tabby retorted, her hands filling with cherry bombs of various sizes.  
  
Bobby stared at her for a second longer, then relented. He sighed, sounding defeated. "Ok, ok. It's just...my band! It's falling apart and it's only been in existence for-" he glanced at his watch; and upon finding he didn't have one, said, "-a very short time."  
  
The three girls nodded sympathetically, and Tabby ran to throw the cherry bombs out the window before they exploded while Jubilee came over to where he was standing and put her hand on his shoulder. "Look, the four of us can at least have fun. I mean, Tabby sings great-" Rogue shuddered slightly "-and I'm pretty good at the keyboard. You and Rogue are both awesome at guitar, so we could just play for fun."  
  
He looked at her and a smile spread across his face. "Yeah, you're right. Who needs them?" Motioning Jubilee back to her keyboard, he picked up his guitar. "All right, people, let's do 'Sweetness'-you all know it, right?" Everyone nodded, so he loudly said "One, two, one, two, three, four," and started the intro to it, glad to finally be playing music with people who could also play.  
  
Alas, that was not to be, for Rogue was soon off playing some song of her own design.  
  
Bobby slashed his hand across his throat, effectively killing the music.  
  
"What?" asked Rogue, surprised.  
  
"What the crap was that?" Bobby demanded, now frustrated beyond the point of no return.  
  
"Look, sugah, Ah ahm a musician, and so Ah need complete artistic freedom. If ya have a problem with that, Ah can leave," she retorted.  
  
Bobby's eyebrows shot up. He would have expected a response like that from Tabby or Jubilee, or even Kitty, but not Rogue. He mentally shrugged, figuring that Rogue's roommate's personality must have really rubbed off on Rogue.  
  
"Fine. You know what? This whole band idea sucks. Nobody can play an instrument to save their lives, and of the precious few who can, they don't want to!!" Bobby ranted. He kept venting loudly as he slowly, unconsciously began shifting into his ice form.  
  
"Didn't wahnt ta be in a stupid band anyways," mumbled Rogue as she left the room carrying her guitar.  
  
Tabby and Jubilee looked at each other in stunned disbelief. How could their wonderful idea have backfired so badly? It didn't make any sense.  
  
Suddenly, Bobby shifted his focus from the world in general to the two mutant girls in the room with him. With a half-crazed look in his eyes, he started walking towards them, heedless of his guitar or anything else.  
  
Jubilee and Tabby looked at each other again and started backing away from Bobby and towards the door. They didn't want to be the object of Bobby's frustrations, but from the gleam in his eyes, they were about to become just that.  
  
He saw Jubilee glance toward the doorway, and he quickly iced it over. "Uh-uh. You started this whole band thing, so now you're gonna end it.  
  
  
  
A/N: Evo-spider, you'll get your answers next chapter, I promise.  
Thanks to all the reviewers! 


	8. Hey! That Was

Disclaimer: If they were mine, this wouldn't be FANfiction, would it?  
  
  
  
  
Rogue deposited her precious guitar in her room and ran downstairs to meet up with Scott and Ray.  
  
"Ah didn't know the two 'a ya were such good actors," she commented as the trio walked to the garage where Scott kept his convertible.  
  
"Yeah, well, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do," Ray said smugly. Rogue groaned and Scott rolled his eyes.  
  
"Don't even go there," Rogue said.  
  
"I'm just glad we don't have to be in that band," said Scott. "I mean, those three are cool and all, but to be in a band with the three of them in charge is too much." Ray and Rogue nodded in agreement. "But anyway, you up for pizza? I'm paying," Scott started the car as he spoke. The other two hopped in, and the group left the Institute.  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
Tabby and Jubilee shivered as they waited for someone to melt the ice that imprisoned them and let them out. Bobby had made the walls and ceiling too thick for cherry bombs or fireworks to do any good.  
  
"H-h-hey," Jubilee's teeth chattered as she tried to get Tabby's attention.  
  
"What?" snapped Tabby. She was in a VERY bad mood, and she would definitely have her revenge on Bobby as soon as she was released from their ice prison.  
  
"Is that Scott's car?" Jubilee pointed through the thick wall of ice to the view outside the window. The ice distorted everything so badly she couldn't be sure.  
  
"I think so. Why?" asked Tabby, now wondering what Scott was up to.  
  
"Somehow, I think that he and Ray and Rogue planned that whole thing," said Jubilee.  
  
"Yeah...." Tabby realized what Jubilee was saying, and suddenly forgot completely about the cold. "Yeah. I mean, I've heard Ray play bass before, and he was pretty good."  
  
"Yeah, Scott too...."  
  
They pondered that fact for a moment, then grinned at each other.  
  
"They are SO gonna get it when they get back...." said Tabby.  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
  
END!  
  
A/N: Did you like it? hate it? not give a rip one way or another? Tell me! I've never been too good at humor, so any opinions/thoughts/comments/prizes would be welcome.... 


	9. author's note

Author's Note: I'm ba-ack! Well, maybe. Some of you wonderful lovely reviewers said you wanted more, so I will....but ya gotta give me some ideas. I took the original idea and ran with it as far as I could, but if I do a sequel I need some ideas...k? Luv yas! 


End file.
